Hoyt awarded five-year K25 grant for radiology research

Kenneth Hoyt, Ph.D., M.B.A., associate professor of Radiology, has received a five-year K25 career development award from the National Institutes of Health to support the development of a non-invasive ultrasound imaging technique for monitoring the early effects of drug treatment in cancer patients.

K25 grants are awarded to young investigators and junior faculty with scientific or engineering backgrounds. Hoyt, part of Radiology’s Division of Advanced Medical Imaging Research, joined UAB in 2008 following a postdoctoral fellowship in electrical engineering at the University of Rochester.

Hoyt’s overarching goal is to develop a whole tumor molecular ultrasound imaging technique for monitoring response to antiangiogenic therapy—aimed at stopping growth of new blood vessels— during the critical early phase of therapy after drug dosing.

“It is during these early phases that systemic administration of a cytotoxic drug can be the most effective due to transient changes in tumor vascularity and function,” Dr. Hoyt says. “These personalized medicine approaches should image both specific biomarkers associated with the angiogenic process and incorporate the entire tumor burden.”

“This is a strong recognition of Dr. Hoyt's research vision and a reflection of his perseverance in these times of severely limited research funding,” says Cheri Canon, M.D., chair of the Department of Radiology.

Hoyt’s research focuses broadly on the development and use of ultrasound technology for applications related to cancer imaging, therapy and drug delivery.